One time there has been some movements back to Israel.
About 90 years now they've been back in the land.
And Nehemiah finds out from his brother that the wall has yet to be rebuilt around the city.
In fact, the king that he serves issued an edict 13 years prior to stop the building of said wall.
As the inhabitants of the area, more than likely, Sambalat and Tobiah, that we're going to talk a bit about today,
let him know what was happening in the land.
And he saw it as an affront to his kingship.
And so he put a stop to the wall.
But the fact that this wall had yet to be built really grieved Nehemiah.
Because the glory of God was being belittled in this way.
The people of God's condition was the visible way in which God was praised in this day.
And the fact that they were still living in a ruined city meant that Nehemiah's God didn't appear so great.
And notice my careful wording.
He didn't appear so great.
And so Nehemiah was grieved by this and he prayed.
We saw that in chapter 1.
I introduced the Latin phrase to you sine qua non, without which nothing.
He knew that if this work was going to get done, it had to be a movement of God.
That he could not accomplish it on his own.
And so he prayed.
But even though he recognized that God's providence must come into play,
God must be in control of what was going to happen, he planned.
So we saw that as well, that he set forth a plan that he could present to the king.
And we saw then in the middle of verse 8 of chapter 2,
And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
We see God bringing about this great work of bringing back together the people,
using Nehemiah to go back to lead them.
And so we talked last week about the actual work.
We looked at chapter 3, and I apologize to you for breaking a little bit from the flow of what's happening here.
But we talked through chapter 3 of this great list of these men and women who worked hard to rebuild the wall.
And we talked about how it was that they did in fact work,
and that they worked without regard to their positions, to their gender, their zip code.
Some of them were from outlying cities.
They did their fair share.
You remember some of them did more than just a section of the wall.
My favorite being a perfumer who built two sections of the wall.
Or their skill sets.
These weren't masons.
They carried out various tasks.
Rulers and priests that worked on this wall.
So we're going to look today at the very end of chapter 2, which we bounced over before, verse 19 and 20.
And then chapter 4.
We're going to look at the way they worked in the face of opposition.
It would be nice if we came to this point in the story.
They get to work.
They get this mind for it.
They see that the good hand of God is with Nehemiah and the work before them.
And they strengthen their hands.
And then the rest of the story we read,
And they built a magnificent wall.
And it was wonderful.
And that's the end of the story.
It would be a nice way to read it.
That would be an encouragement to me in my own life.
I have a work that's been set before me.
I'd kind of like the story to play out that way.
Because that would mean that things are just going to go good.
I've strengthened my hands.
I'm ready to do the work God's putting for me.
And it's just going to go really well.
The story's going to go great in that way.
But that's not what we see happening here.
They end up having to work in the face of great opposition.
Remembering that they were motivated by providence.
Chapter 2, verse 18.
Nehemiah reports the hand of my God that had been upon me for good.
You remember that when God's people attempt to do God's work in His way,
there will always be opposition.
This world hates the ways of God.
So when God's people attempt to do God's work in His way,
notice the careful wording there.
Things can go real well for you sometimes if you're not doing things in God's way.
But when God's people attempt to do God's work in His way,
there will always be opposition.
My mind was drawn to 2 Timothy 3.12 where Paul wrote,
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
You remember as we're looking at this story, it's certainly a historical account.
It's not an allegory.
But we in some ways can take it allegorically for our own living.
We are now being built up into a temple, a holy habitation for God.
And so the work before us is not to build a wall, to build buildings.
The work before us is to build up the church.
To be holy and to bring about holiness in the lives of others.
To be disciple-making disciples.
And so 2 Timothy 3.12 comes together for us then.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Will face opposition.
So let's read together.
I'm going to help us skip around just a little bit.
Beginning in chapter 2, verse 19.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it,
they jeered at us and despised us and said,
What is this thing that you are doing?
Are you rebelling against the king?
Then I replied to them,
The God of heaven will make us prosper,
and we his servants will arise and build.
But you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.
Now let's just pause there before we go to chapter 4.
Firstly, I love the names of our antagonists in the story.
Sanballat and Tobiah.
I'm glad I get to say them over and over again this morning.
We see some other antagonists.
They're the primary ones, but we also see Geshem here.
Later in chapter 4, we see the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites
all rise up against the work that's happening in Israel.
But pay a close attention before we move on to chapter 4
at the response, which I just love.
Then I replied to them,
The God of heaven will make us prosper.
By his providential hand, he will make us proper.
And we his servants will arise and build.
Flying in the face of their objection to the building.
The God of heaven will make us prosper.
We will arise and build.
And he says to them,
But you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.
Now it's likely that there were rulers in Jerusalem
that were bowing to Sanballat and Tobiah.
More than likely, the Techoites that we saw in chapter 3
that would not stoop to serve their Lord
had a pact, had an agreement with Sanballat,
and therefore they wouldn't serve the work of God.
Nehemiah is very careful to say to them,
But you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.
Get out of the way.
God and his people are rebuilding the wall.
Chapter 4.
Bear with me.
Now, when Sanballat heard that they were building the wall,
he was angry and greatly enraged,
and he jeered at the Jews.
And he said in the presence of his brothers
and of the army of Samaria,
What are these feeble Jews doing?
Will they restore it for themselves?
Will they sacrifice?
Will they finish up in a day?
Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish
and burned ones at that?
Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him,
and he said,
Yes, what are they building?
If a fox goes up on it,
he will break down their stone wall.
Hear, O our God,
for we are despised.
Turn back their taunt on their own heads
and give them up to be plundered in a land
where they are captives.
Do not cover their guilt,
and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight,
for they have provoked you to anger
in the presence of the builders.
So we built the wall,
and all the wall was joined together
to half its height,
for the people had a mind to work.
But when Sambalat and Tobiah
and the Arabs and the Ammonites
and the Ashdodites heard
that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem
was going forward
and that the breaches were beginning to be closed,
the gaps were being closed,
they were very angry.
And they all plotted together
to come and fight against Jerusalem
and to cause confusion in it.
And we prayed to our God
and set a guard as a protection against them
day and night.
In Judah it was said,
The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing.
There is too much rubble.
By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.
And our enemies said,
They will not know or see
till we come among them
and kill them and stop the work.
At that time the Jews who lived near them
came from all directions
and said to us ten times,
You must return to us.
So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall
in open places,
I stationed the people by their clans
with their swords,
their spears,
and their bows.
And I looked and arose
and said to the nobles
and to the officials
and to the rest of the people,
Do not be afraid of them.
Remember the Lord
who is great and awesome
and fight for your brothers,
your sons,
your daughters,
your wives,
and your homes.
When our enemies heard
that it was known to us
that God had frustrated their plan,
we all returned to the wall.
Each to his work.
From that day on,
half of my servants
worked on construction
and half held the spears,
shields,
bows,
and coats of mail.
And the leaders stood behind
the whole house of Judah
who were building on the wall.
Those who carried burdens
were loaded in such a way
that each labored on the work
with one hand
and held his weapon
with the other.
And each of the builders
had a sword strapped at his side
while he built.
The man who sounded the trumpet
was beside me.
And I said to the nobles
and to the officials
and to the rest of the people,
The work is great
and widely spread
and we are separated
on the wall
far from one another.
In the place where you hear
the sound of the trumpet,
rally to us there.
Our God will fight for us.
So we labored at the work
and half of them
held the spears
from the break of dawn
until the stars came out.
I also said to the people
at that time,
that every man and his servant
pass the night within Jerusalem
that they may be a guard
for us by night
and may labor by day.
So neither I nor my brothers
nor my servants
nor the men of the guard
who followed me,
none of us took off our clothes.
Each kept his weapon
at his right hand.
Now in chapter 5,
we see a little interjection
and Kyle actually will be telling you
a bit more about the work
that's happening
even as the work on the wall
is taking place.
But then in chapter 6,
we see some oppression
that's brought against Nehemiah himself.
Originally, I planned to go this far,
but I chopped it this morning
because it was just way too much.
But turn your attention
to chapter 6, verses 15 and 16.
So the wall was finished
on the 25th day of the month.
It lulled in 52 days.
And when all our enemies heard of it,
all the nations around us
were afraid and fell greatly
in their own esteem.
For they perceived
that this work had been accomplished
with the help of our God.
Join me in prayer.
Father God, we thank you
for your inspired word.
This is a record of an event
that happened many thousands
of years ago.
But it was written
for our encouragement today.
I believe that you have brought
all of us together today.
And that you intend to speak
to all of our hearts.
And so I just ask
that you will.
That you will show us
how it is
that the work before us,
even in the face of opposition,
can and will be completed.
We praise you
for your words to us.
That we have
a glimpse,
a window in
to the mind of the Almighty.
And we pray this in Christ's name.
Amen.
So there are two types
of opposition
that took place here.
And I want to kind of
bring those to you.
Firstly,
physical opposition.
We see chapter 4,
verse 7 and 8.
We see Sambalat and Tobiah,
the Arabs,
the Ammonites,
and the Ashdodites.
They hear that the progression
is still happening.
Even though there's been
some jeering,
some making fun of,
they are still beginning
to build the wall.
In fact,
they're starting to close
in the gaps of the wall.
It's been completed
to half of its height.
And they become angry.
And they plot together
to come and fight
against Jerusalem.
There's this physical opposition
that's presented before them.
What is their response to this?
What is their response?
They enter into,
this is what we read
through chapter 4,
into a state of perpetual readiness.
They got prepared.
They got ready
for the fight that may come.
In fact,
in case you didn't catch it,
we turn from the end
of verse 14 to 15,
they actually stood
in the low gaps
behind the wall,
all of them ready to fight.
They hear rumor
that a fight is coming
and they armed themselves
and they got ready.
They ceased building
on the wall
to stop
and to fight.
But in verse 15,
when they heard
that their enemies
had heard
that the plan
had been confounded,
that they had stood guard,
that they knew
they were coming,
they go back
to the work.
And they go back
to the work
in some very interesting ways.
Nehemiah comes up
with some brilliant plans
for how they're going to work.
Half of his servants
stand guard
while the other half
are working.
Those that are working
carry loads
in such a way
that they can carry
a weapon in one hand
and a load,
and remember a load
in this case
is probably heavy stones
and mortar
and things to fill in,
the gaps on the wall.
In the other hand,
he has people
standing by
with all of the armaments
they would need,
the coat of mail,
the things they wouldn't wear
while they were working.
They stood by
holding on to those things
so that if they needed them,
they could drop
what they were doing,
put on the armor,
and fight
for the sake of the city.
He set up a plan
for how they would
rally together.
They're spread out
amongst this wall,
this great parameter
of the city Jerusalem.
So he comes up
with a plan
to blow a trumpet
and everybody
to gather
at that place.
You even see record
of the fact
that he had everybody
stay inside the city,
not return to their homes
outside of the city,
but rest and stay inside
in case they needed
to fight at night.
And that he even records
in verse 23
that they didn't
take off their clothes,
which was not
for the sake of grossness,
but just to let us know
that they were always ready.
They never disrobed to sleep.
They always kept ready
to fight and to work.
For 52 days,
they did this type of thing.
So they got ready
in the state
of perpetual readiness.
But before that,
before they ever did that,
what do we see them
stopping to do?
They prayed.
Right?
Sine qua non.
Without which nothing.
Chapter 4, verse 9.
And we prayed to our God
and set a guard
as a protection.
And set that word there,
the little phrase
that sits in between there,
means nevertheless.
We prayed to our God
knowing full well
that God's good hand
was upon this work.
His providence
was draped over
the work that was
happening here.
But nevertheless,
we set a guard.
We did our part.
We did the planning.
The things that needed
to be done.
It's a bit of a tension.
And I think that most of us
here feel this tension.
We've seen the sovereignty
of God in scriptures
and we've seen the
responsibility of man.
I feel like I've talked
about it at length.
But recognize that this
tension is everywhere
in the scriptures.
It doesn't just exist here.
Seeing the people of God
praying, kneeling,
asking God to work,
knowing that without him
doing the work,
it's not going to get
accomplished at all.
You see even here
that we see in verse 20
as Nehemiah's encouraging
the people,
talking about the rallying
of the people.
He's basically saying to
them,
in the place where you
hear the sound of the
trumpet,
come fight.
And his sixth sentence
is,
our God will fight for us.
This full recognition
that God was going to
have to accomplish it.
And yet,
we also see that they
knew that they were
the means by which God
would accomplish it.
They were the means
to the end.
This tension is found
all throughout the
scriptures.
Begin to read the Bible
with this in mind
and notice all of the
places that happens,
particularly in Paul's
language.
He always wants to be
so careful as he
presents the mightiness
of our God that he
doesn't leave out the
fact that we're
responsible.
And as he presents to
us the fact that we're
responsible and we have
a part to play,
he never ever leaves it
hanging without wrapping
it up with the
sovereignty of God.
One example,
1 Corinthians 15,
verse 10.
He says,
By the grace of God,
I am what I am.
And his grace toward me
was not in vain.
On the contrary,
I worked harder than
any of them,
though it was not I,
but the grace of God
that is with me.
It talks about the
grace of God,
the sovereignty of God
and him being who he
is.
But then he presents
that he worked very
hard at being who he
is.
But just so that we're
not unclear,
he wraps it back up
to say,
but it was not I,
it was the grace of
God that is with me.
This tension,
if it feels that way
for you,
it does for me,
it makes my mind
want to split open
sometimes,
exists all throughout
the scriptures.
God uses his people
to accomplish his will,
but it is indeed
God who works.
So in face of this
physical opposition,
the possibility that
the wall would be
stopped by an attack,
they pray,
they make a plan,
they prepare,
they stand at the ready
perpetually
so that they can
complete the wall.
But there's a
greater danger,
a greater opposition
that face them here,
and that is a
spiritual opposition.
Presented to you
before that the
problems we have
as people are
going to be one
of two types of
problems.
They're either going
to be physical or
they're going to be
spiritual.
Ultimately,
the way we think
is affected by our
spirit.
You see here,
there's some things
happening with them.
You see discouragement
taking place.
And you see fear.
Discouragement,
chapter 4,
verse 10.
In Judah it was said,
the strength of those
who bear the burdens
!
The burdens is failing!
There is too much
rubble!
By ourselves we will
not be able to
rebuild the wall!
See that discouragement
beginning to set in
on them.
They're being taunted
by the outsiders.
My mind goes to
Noah building his
boat and all his
friends coming and
making fun of him
for building a boat
in the middle of
the desert.
Yet he built on
all the same.
Here you see them
being taunted,
verses 1-3,
by Sambalat.
He jeers at the
Jews.
And he said in the
presence of his
brothers in the
army of Samaria,
what are these
feeble Jews doing?
Will they restore
it for themselves?
These are rhetorical
questions.
Will they sacrifice?
Meaning,
will they get it
set up in a way
in which they can
then turn to
temple service?
Will they finish
up in a day?
Will they revive
the stones out of
the heaps of
rubbish and
burned ones at
that?
Mox the work
that they're about
to be doing.
And then his
buddy Tobiah
pipes in and
says, yes, what
are they building?
If a fox goes up
on it, he will
break down their
stone wall,
meaning it doesn't
have structure.
It's a horribly
built wall.
And even if a
fox were to run
up on it, it
would just collapse.
They're being
taunted in this
way, and
discouragement has
begun to set in.
How is it that
they bear up under
that type of
discouragement?
You may have
experienced this in
your work for the
Lord.
Remember the way
that Nehemiah's
prayer begins in
chapter 1,
verse 5.
He says,
O Lord,
God of heaven.
And I presented
to you that this
Hebrew phrase,
was a Hebrew
phrase that had
become especially
important to the
Israelites as they
were in Babylonian
captivity, as they
had spent all of
this time abroad.
And it meant
simply that their
God was a God
that ruled over
everything.
Remember chapter 2,
verse 20,
Nehemiah's response
to Sambalot,
Tobiah,
and Geshem,
the God of heaven,
same language,
will make us
prosper.
They got through
this discouragement
by trusting in
the sovereign
goodness of God.
They would have
been familiar with
Psalm 135,
5 and 6,
For I know that
the Lord is great,
and that our Lord
is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord
pleases,
He does,
in heaven and on
earth,
in the seas,
and all the
deeps.
They knew
that the good
hand of God
had been upon
Nehemiah for
the good work.
This is the
language we're
seeing up until
this point.
They knew that
God intended
to complete the
wall with
them,
and therefore,
they knew it
would get
done.
Let me read to
you a little bit
from Spurgeon
on the topic of
God's sovereignty.
That's what we're
talking about here.
There is no
attribute more
comforting to
His children than
that of God's
sovereignty.
Under the most
adverse circumstances,
in the most
severe trials,
they believe that
sovereignty has
ordained their
afflictions, that
sovereignty overrules
them, and that
sovereignty will
sanctify them all.
There is nothing
for which the
children ought more
earnestly to
contend than the
doctrine of their
master over all
creation.
The kingship of
God over all
the works of
His own hands,
the throne of
God and His
right to sit
upon that
throne.
On the other
hand, there is
no doctrine more
hated by
worldings, no
truth of which
they have made
such a football
as the great,
stupendous, but
yet most certain
doctrine of the
sovereignty of
the infinite
Jehovah.
Men will allow
God to be
everywhere except
on His throne.
They will allow
Him to be in
His workshop to
fashion worlds
and make stars.
They will allow
Him to be in
His almanry to
dispense His
alms and bestow
His bounties.
They will allow
Him to sustain
the earth and
bear up the
pillars thereof,
or light the
lamps of heaven,
or rule the
waves of the
ever-moving
ocean.
But when God
ascends His
throne, His
creatures then
gnash their
teeth.
But we
proclaim and
enthrone God,
and His right
to do as He
wills with His
own, to dispose of
His creatures as
He thinks well,
without consulting
them in the
matter, then it
is that we are
hissed and
execrated, and
then it is that
men turn a deaf
ear to us.
For God on His
throne is not
the God they
love, but it
is the God upon
the throne that
we love.
It is God upon
His throne whom
we trust.
That is the
great encouragement
judgment, when
we are feeling
discouraged, that
our God reigns
over the
work.
We talked
about how
Nehemiah's
prayer in
chapter 1 was
saturated in
the Word of
God.
He knew what
God attempted
to accomplish
with His
people, and
therefore he
could confidently
lay hold of
those promises.
Beloved, we
must study God's
Word and know
His promises.
If we know
them, we can
know that
they are
sure.
The second
condition I see
here in
chapter 4 is
fear.
Spiritual
opposition to
them is this
fear, right?
There's a great
force, a mighty
force.
The armies of
Samaria are
going to come
against them and
stop the building
of the wall.
Chapter 4, 11,
and 12 says,
And our enemy
said they will
not know or
see till we
come among
them and kill
them and stop
the work.
Then you see in
verse 12,
at that time
the Jews who
lived near
them came
from all
directions and
said to us
ten times,
you must
return to
us.
What's happening
is the people
who are living
in the perimeter
who aren't
coming and
building the
wall are
coming to
the city
and they're
saying,
listen, we
are hearing
news that
they are going
to come and
kill you.
They're forming
armies to
come and kill
you and stop
the building
of the wall.
Please come
back to the
suburbs.
Come on
back out to
the houses
and live.
Let's tend
our sheep.
Let's look
after our
gardens and
stop the
building of the
ten times.
There's an
urgency here
to get them
to return.
So how do
they stand
up?
How do they
work in
light of
that type
of opposition?
You see in
verse 6 of
chapter 4
this record
that the
people had
a mind
to work.
The Hebrew
word there
means so much
more than
just mind.
It means that
they had
hearts to
work.
It means that
their very
being was set
to the work.
In chapter
2 we saw
that they
strengthened
their hands
and had
that same
feeling to
it.
That they
made
themselves
resolute
for the
work that
was ahead
of them.
And then
you see
Nehemiah's
response in
verse 14.
Do not
be afraid
of them.
Remember
what?
The
Lord.
Who is
great
and
awesome.
We saw
that same
language in
his prayer
in chapter
1.
Who is
great and
awesome.
Who rules
over everything
his greatness.
Who stands
above,
who has
power over
everything
and is
awesome.
Strikes
fear in
the hearts
of his
enemies.
This is
what we are
to remember
when we're
afraid.
Remember the
Lord who is
great and
awesome.
Psalm 28,
7 and 8
says,
The Lord is
my strength
and my
shield.
In him
my heart
trusts and
I am
helped.
My heart
exults and
with song I
give thanks
to him.
The Lord
is the
strength of
his people.
He is
the saving
refuge of
his
anointed.
Jeremiah
32,
verse 40,
I will
make with
them an
everlasting
covenant that
I will not
turn away
from doing
good to
them.
You
notice so
far as
our study
in Nehemiah
keep drawing
us back
to scripture
that they
would have
had.
I want you
to see that
these people
knew scriptures
of God.
They had
been given
to them.
They had
proper
motivation
by which
to do
this work
because they
trusted in
their sovereign
Lord.
So we saw
that the
wall was
completed.
That's why
I jumped
to chapter
6.
So in
spite of
this
opposition,
both the
physical
and the
spiritual
opposition,
the work
continued.
And the
wall was
finished in
52 days.
And when
all the
enemies
heard of
it,
verse 16,
all the
nations
around us
were afraid
and fell
greatly in
their own
esteem.
They said,
we are not
rulers of
this world.
We ought
not think
so highly
of ourselves
for they
perceived
that this
work had
been accomplished
with the
help of
our God.
So how
is it
then that
we should
work in
the face
of opposition?
We take
this narrative
and we
apply it
to our
very own
living.
Firstly,
we should
trust in
the sovereign
goodness of
God.
We should
trust in
the sovereign
goodness of
God as
His people.
As He is
redeeming the
church for
Himself,
we should
trust in
the sovereign
goodness of
our God.
Turn with
me to the
book of
Ephesians,
chapter 2.
You can
leave Nehemiah
behind.
You don't
have to
mark it
with your
hand.
The very
greatest
expression to
us of
God's sovereign
goodness is
the person
and the
work of
Jesus Christ.
Christ
crucified and
resurrected on
our behalf.
Ephesians,
chapter 2,
beginning in
verse 17.
He, being
Christ, came
and preached
peace to you
who are far
off and
peace to
those who
were near.
For through
Him we
both have
access in
one spirit
to the
Father.
So then you
are no longer
strangers and
aliens, but
you are fellow
citizens with
the saints and
members of
the household
of God,
built on the
foundation of
the apostles
and prophets,
Christ Jesus
Himself being
the cornerstone,
in whom the
whole structure
being joined
together grows
into a holy
temple in
the Lord.
In Him you
also are being
built together
into a dwelling
place for God
by the Spirit.
Catch all that
language.
Again, I've been
drawing you to
1 Peter, but
here we see in
Ephesians Paul
using the same
type of language
about us being
built up into
a structure,
calls it here a
holy temple in
the Lord, a
dwelling place for
God by the
Spirit with
Jesus Christ
Himself being
the cornerstone.
Cornerstone was
significant.
It set all
things right.
It was the
measure by which
everything else
was taken.
It's how the
building came
together properly.
You can't miss
that.
The language of
cornerstone doesn't
make a lot of
sense to us.
Probably not even
to modern day
builders, but for
most of us we
don't build
buildings.
We don't know
what that would
even look like.
This was incredibly
significant language
to them.
It means that
without Christ,
and Christ
crucified and
resurrected, none
of this holds
together.
All of our
great efforts at
church and being
religious and
trying to build
something for God
is totally failed
apart from
Christ.
Remember that it's
through Him we
have access in
one Spirit to
the Father.
We're no longer
strangers and
aliens.
We are now part
of the household
of God, and
this is God's
sovereign goodness
to us.
we'll look
beyond and
go further
into some
of that reality
of God's
sovereign goodness
here momentarily.
Look on down
in the book of
Ephesians, or
over, depending
on your media
that you're using,
to chapter 6.
Paul begins to
conclude his letter
in this way,
verse 10,
looking at the
work that's ahead
of us, finally be
strong in the Lord
and in the strength
of His might.
Put on the whole
armor of God
that you may be
able to stand
against the schemes
of the devil.
For we do not
wrestle against
flesh and blood,
but against the
rulers, against
the authorities,
against the
cosmic powers
over this
present darkness,
against the
spiritual forces
of evil in
the heavenly
places.
There's our
challenge, there's
our opposition
to us.
Verse 13,
therefore take
up the whole
armor of God
that you may be
able to withstand
in the evil
day, and having
done all to
stand firm,
stand therefore
having fastened
on the belt of
truth, and having
put on the
breastplate of
righteousness, and
as shoes for
your feet,
having put on
the readiness
given by the
gospel of
peace.
In all
circumstances, take
up the shield
of faith with
which you can
extinguish all
the flaming
darts of the
evil one, and
take the helmet
of salvation and
the sword of the
spirit, which is
the word of God,
praying at all
times in the
spirit with all
prayer and
supplication, or
petitioning in
that way.
can you kind of
you can't
can you kind of
get the picture
I do of the
workers of the
wall in
Nehemiah's day
with a load on
one arm and
the sword in the
other hand or
the spear in the
other hand, they
got themselves ready
for this work that
was ahead of us, and
here we see that
we're to be strong in
the Lord and the
strength of his
might, and how do
we do that?
Right?
We put on these
things here called
the armor of God,
and notice what
they are, they're
truth, righteousness,
readiness, faith,
salvation, the
word of God, and
prayer.
Now I wish we had
time to expound
this in its
entirety.
Someday we will
go through the
book of Ephesians
and we will do
that very thing.
There's so much
that all of this
means, but simply
we can simply
boil these things
down, probably in
an over simple
way, to say that
we need to know
the truth of God,
who we are in
Christ, the gospel,
right?
And we need to
pray.
The word of God
being the bread of
life, the prayer
being the breath of
life.
Remember those two
things.
The word of God
is the bread of
life.
It's our sustenance.
And prayer is the
breath of life.
I'll give you an
example from my
week.
I was feeling
rather discouraged
this week and it
wasn't something I
really realized was
happening until
later.
It worked its way
kind of up out of
my heart and to
my head until I
kind of stopped and
assessed what was
going on with me.
But I had allowed
the father of lies
to tell me a lie and
I began to believe it.
I just began to be
discouraged.
Totally unwarranted.
Completely unwarranted.
But discouraged about
the work that's
happening here at
Christ Family Church.
Saying that we're
never going to
accomplish some of
the goals that are
set out before us.
That I feel so alone
in the work I'm
doing.
I'm inadequate for
the work I'm
doing.
And these lies began
to work around in
me.
And again, not up
here but down in
here.
And I just found
myself feeling really
unmotivated at the
beginning of this
week.
Just kind of open up
to read and reading
Nehemiah and reading
just the narrative on
the surface.
I'm just going,
okay, they built the
wall.
They set a guard.
What are we going to
talk about this Sunday?
How does this apply
to our lives?
I just don't know.
So I'd close it and
I'd move on to
something else.
And just lacking this
real motivation.
It finally bubbled
up enough that I
realized I was acting
in this way.
Why am I feeling so
unmotivated this week?
Why can I not sit down
and focus and get the
work done that's in
front of me?
And I realized that I
was being discouraged.
I was believing all of
these lies that were
being told to me.
And this is when God
really began to
minister to me with
the lives of these
people.
I had really forgotten
the gospel.
Forgotten who I was
in Christ.
And that's a complete
work of Him.
He has accomplished
it.
He's done all of that.
Certainly God works
through faithful people,
but it is God who works.
I take great hope and
encouragement in my time
of discouragement in
knowing that God has a
plan.
And it will, in fact,
come to fruition.
salvation.
No doubt about that.
We believe highly in the
sovereignty of God here,
not because it's our
particular thing, it's our
flavor, we want to pick it
up, but because the
scriptures tell us that
God is sovereign.
It's all over in here.
We believe in the
doctrines of grace, as
they're commonly called.
Some of you may wrestle
with some of these.
I still do.
The famous tulip,
right?
Total depravity, who we
are.
Before Christ.
No good at all.
Sin has totally spoiled
us.
My righteousness prior to
Christ was as filthy
rags.
Nothing I can do that's
good on my own.
It ends in the beautiful
doctrine of the
perseverance of the
saints.
The last one, the end
cap on this, is that
once we are gods, we
are gods forever.
There's no undoing that.
Once we're in his hand,
nothing can take us out
of his hand, even
ourselves.
Right?
Can't remove myself from
God's hand.
And you see the work of
the Trinity in those
middle three, which are
unconditional election.
God has made a plan
before the foundation of
the world.
Limited atonement, which
many people like to call
particular redemption,
but I don't think TUPIP is a
very good acronym here in
this case.
Limited atonement, right?
The work of Christ for us
on the cross.
God made the plan.
Christ accomplished the
work.
It is finished.
Right?
And then irresistible
grace.
Some people say the
effectual calling of the
Spirit.
So God made the plan.
Christ accomplished the
work.
And the Spirit is bringing
that work into fruition.
Right?
He has called us, and now
He is working in us to
make us perfect.
Right?
Beloved, these doctrines
are meant to be a pillow
for us to lay our heads
on.
They're not meant to be a
rock for us to crash
headlong into.
And they're certainly not
meant to be a rock into
which to beat somebody
else over the head with.
Every time we see this
taught throughout the
Scriptures, it is meant
to be a comfort to the
people of God.
God is sovereign, and He
is good to His people.
That's what we're meant
to grab hold of and
take.
As Spurgeon was arguing
that the sovereignty of
God, that doctrine should be
fought for more than any
other doctrine for the
people of God.
Because that is where our
surety comes from.
Right?
That's what gives us the
encouragement to continue
to work.
If all of this depended
on me, I'd be done
already.
Because I'm a failure at
leading a church.
I would just quit.
I'd say, there's not a
chance I'm getting this
done.
It would be fruitless
effort if it all depended
on me.
But because it depends on
God, the call, whatever
that particular vision for
our church is, I don't
really even know.
It will be completed.
Right?
God will do exactly what
He intends to do with us.
Right?
Remember that.
These doctrines are meant
to be a pillow for us to
rest our heads on.
The light yoke that we
take upon us.
John 16.33, Jesus says,
I have said these things
to you that in me you may
have peace.
In the world you will have
tribulation.
But take heart.
I have overcome the world.
Christ crucified.
He has overcome the world.
Paul had confidence in this
as he was talking to others
about others and their
progression in faith.
Philippians 1.6, he says,
And I'm sure of this, that
he who began a good work in
you will bring it to
completion at the day of
Jesus Christ.
Christ, it is in God's
sovereign control.
It doesn't negate our part
in it.
But God is in control.
As we are given the great
commission by Christ to go
and make disciples of all
the world, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching Him to walk in His
ways.
As we're given that commission,
we're given an even greater
promise.
Matthew 28.20,
And behold, I am with you
always to the end of the age.
If we're going to set about
the work in the face of
opposition, we must believe
these things.
The sovereign goodness of our
God.
Secondly, simply know that
opposition is part of the
work.
It is part of the work.
It doesn't just stand in the
way of the work, but it is
in fact part of the work of
us being built into a holy
temple, a dwelling place for
God, as the people of God.
It's part of the work.
James 1.2-4 says,
Counter all joy, my brothers,
when you meet trials of
various kinds.
For you know that the testing
of your faith produces
steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its
full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
What did I say to you?
That the work that's before us
is to be holy and to bring
about holiness in the lives of
others.
This is a major way in which
that happens.
As we work in the face of
opposition, that is in fact
part of the work.
Right?
Relying on God.
The testing of our faith.
God does this to me constantly.
He says to me, do you really
trust me?
Do you really think you can do
nothing apart from me?
And so often I go, yeah, but I
forgot.
You're right.
I can do nothing apart from you.
Everything good that happens in
me and through me is a work of
God.
It's this testing of my faith and
it produces steadfastness.
In what?
Steadfastness in faith.
In our dependence on God.
And that is the process by which
we're made perfect.
That our faith will be made
complete.
So let me conclude this morning
by just asking you two questions.
I just want you to ponder these.
Has opposition caused you to
cease working?
And are there any endeavors that
you need to renew your
commitment to?
Let's pray together.